Chasing Rainbows
by Shohoku no Miko
Summary: (Reloaded) A turn of events changes Misao's life forever... Being betrothed is the hardest thing for her, and Soujiro helps her cope up with the events that steered her life. But what happens when best friends cross the line? Ch. 5 finally up!
1. Prologue: A Twist of Fate

Author's Rant:  
  
Ah, this is actually my first time writing for this couple and I have only been inspired by a song. This is no songfic, though. But I don't think I'll be able to write without songs... Anywho, I hope you do appreciate what I have to offer for all of you. I am only a novice in this thing.  
  
Rurouni Kenshin ain't mine. There, satisfied? The great Nobuhiro Watsuki owns it. And L'Arc~en~Ciel ain't mine too. (Though I wish Yuki and Tetsu were...) *squeals* The connection? Nothing. Just wanted you all to know how rabid a fan I am.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~  
  
WARNING: This story contains MATURE CONTENT, but not to the extent of being hentai all in all. Now if such offends you, go away NOW. If not, go on. This is AU; did I forget to tell you all?  
  
Another chance for those who don't read such. Go now. You might get offended.  
  
So you really read these kinds of stories? Fine then. Proceed.  
  
Chasing Rainbows  
  
by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Prologue: A Twist of Fate  
  
***Soujiro***  
  
Sitting behind my desk, I sighed. Many patients have walked in and out of my office and yet no sign of her. This is the first time since we graduated that she didn't show up at the clinic, and I'm beginning to worry. I stood up and got myself iced tea from the refrigerator. 'Calm down...' I mentally told myself. 'It's not like something bad happened to her...' I grabbed my cell phone and pressed 1 - her speed dial number. Ring, ring. Then it was cut.  
  
The moment the line was cut, my fear became much unfathomable. Pacing back and forth, images of Misao flashed in my mind. Misao... kidnapped? Masaka... She's stronger than a man. Robbed? She's the fastest person I know... Well, besides me. (A/n: A little ego booster for our little tenken there. ^-^) What could have happened to her?  
  
Finally letting the thought sink in, I fixed my things in a hurry and dashed out of the room. My secretary, Kamatari, gave me a questioning look. "Sir...? Where are you going?"  
  
"Kamatari, I'm going to look for my best friend. Could you please lock the office after you have finished all those?"  
  
"Certainly sir." She smiled and proceeded to work. I smiled inwardly, thankful that I have such an understanding secretary.  
  
I descended the stairs, taking two steps at a time and finally getting to the lobby, punched out for the day and ran to my car parked just outside of the building.  
  
"Aaahhh!!!" I jumped as my cell phone rang and vibrated in my pants. Scrambling to answer it, I immediately pressed 'answer'. "Yeah?"  
  
"...Sou-kun..."  
  
I stopped in my fast track actions and stopped the car on the street near her apartment.  
  
There was something different in her voice that it sent my goose bumps rising. "...Misao! I have been so worried about you! Where are you? What happened? I was calling you and--"  
  
I stopped at what was to be a sermon to her when I heard strangled sobs on the other line.  
  
"...Sou-kun... I'm..."  
  
Something inside me is telling me that something's wrong with Misao. "What's wrong Misao? Tell me! Where are you?"  
  
"...I-I just got home from..."  
  
"Wait for me!" I hung up and sped the car towards her pad, and in no time I was running again inside the building.  
  
Omasu-san, the receptionist, did not bother to ask me where I was going for she knew who my destination was. And so she instantly gave me the visitor's pass and spoke. "Soujiro-san, she looked like she was about to cry. I think something is wrong wtih her. Please comfort her. There're no other vibrant spirits around here except her."  
  
I smiled the usual smile I would give everyone. "Hai. You can count on me. Arigato." I bowed and then hurried towards her unit.  
  
I reached the fourteenth floor and as the elevator door opened, I saw a figure huddled in one corner, looking outside the window. "Misao!"  
  
She jumped as she heard her name, as if it took her out of reverie. Instantly she stood and ran into my arms. "Sou-kun!!!"  
  
She was crying.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked as if it were the most usual question I asked her everyday. After all, she is my best friend. I have the right to know what caused her this much pain.  
  
"Next month..." She murmured into my clothes.  
  
This was the first time that she cried in all those years that we have known each other. I mean yes, she does cry sometimes, but only because of little things - the worst time that she cried was when her pet bird died.  
  
But my gut feeling was telling otherwise. This is no small matter.  
  
"Let's sit down, shall we?" She nodded and I led her to her living room.  
  
I tried to calm down her sobs by tightening a bit my embrace on her lithe body. I brushed her hair of black and green. "What happened, really? You turned off your cell phone when I was calling."  
  
"Sou-kun... I'm... I'm... getting... married...." She said faintly.  
  
An overwhelming feeling rushed into my systems. It was strange. I have never felt like this before. Misao, my best friend, is getting married. I felt something inside me suddenly broke as she said those words.  
  
My best friend of twenty years... Getting married.  
  
I didn't expect it coming. Never have I imagined that she was going to get married! I mean, how she always jumped around and fought every boy in school - and certainly defeated them - and how she would always get herself reprimanded by his grandfather, Okina-san, because she never acted the way she should.  
  
And for the first time in those twenty years we've known each other, my smile faded.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Okay, not much said about the fic... Short and angsty? Go ahead, flame me.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	2. A Star of Hope

Author's Rant:  
  
Here is Chapter One of my fanfic. I won't rant much, since I'm writing this at five in the morning and I have to get myself prepared for school. I just hope that this story is not boring you to death. This is my first time, so please take this easy on me!  
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is copyright Watsuki-sensei's.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~  
  
Chasing Rainbows  
  
by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter One: A Star of Hope  
  
***Misao***  
  
"Sou-kun... I don't want to... Okina... I thought he'd be the first one to... understand... but he was the first one who gave me away!" I cried into my best friend's shirt. Oh great. Now his chest is soaking wet thanks to me.  
  
But he always understood...  
  
He was the only person whom I felt, whatever I become in this life, would accept me for who I really am. I can't even imagine that in all those twenty years that we have known each other, he would be the only one staying beside me through the rough times.  
  
I never took him as the serious type. Maybe the shy type, but never the serious one. I thought it was Kenshin who was serious.  
  
In our circle of friends, he was the most reserve person. Well, if they didn't have different colors of hair and shape of the eyes, I would have thought at first glance that they were father and son. And Kenshin a little father, I may say.  
  
I wanted to laugh, but I can't. Not without telling Soujiro everything that transpired in that house.  
  
I was sitting beside Okina, admiring the huge garden where the housemaid led us. Not that we did not have a garden in our house. We did, but this garden contains much more plants and flowers were blooming just about everywhere.  
  
I was taken out of trance when a couple came out into the garden.  
  
"Okina-san! Makimachi-san!" They greeted Jiya and my father. (A/n: Okay let's pretend her father is alive. After all, this is AU.) They eyed me expectantly and I smiled at them. "Konnichiwa." I bowed.  
  
"Dear, she's just the perfect match for him!" The woman exclaimed. The man beside the woman nodded in agreement.  
  
"Is she?" Okina asked, a tone of amusement in his voice.  
  
"Most certainly, Okina."  
  
I looked from Jiya and my father to the couple on the other side. What match? What are these grown-ups talking about?  
  
Again I snapped out of my reverie when Jiya called my name. "My angel Misao..."  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"We want you to meet someone." My father exclaimed.  
  
"Son, could you come out here?" The woman called out. Instantly a figure walking towards us materialized from the house. He was tall and lean, his hair fell boyishly, covering most of his eyes. And his eyes - his eyes were a shade of blue.  
  
"Aoshi." Okina called him. And the name was mentally noted, like a post-it stuck on my forehead.  
  
"Sensei." The man named Aoshi bowed.  
  
So what about this Aoshi guy? Why is he being introduced to me?  
  
And as if on cue, Jiya spoke. "Misao, meet Shinomori Aoshi. Aoshi, this is my little angel, Makimachi Misao." He bowed and so did I. "You two were betrothed ever since you were born, Misao. So next month, you two are to be married."  
  
My eyes widened. so this was the 'match' that Jiya kept on nagging me when we were on our way here.  
  
No way! Why should I be married to a man I barely knew? This can't be!  
  
My throat went dry and I could not find my voice. My eyes darted from Jiya and my father, to his parents, and then to Aoshi. The grown-ups were happy about this! I stared intently at Aoshi. He isn't even reacting! Why won't he object? I don't want to get married to a man I barely know!  
  
At that instant, I wanted to call Sou-kun. I looked for my cell phone and grabbed it, when all of a sudden it rang.   
  
"Sou-kun" The LCD glared.  
  
I was about to answer it when father got it and turned it off. "Chichiue...?"  
  
My father merely shook his head, his steady gaze telling me it was inappropriate to use the device in this kind of "meeting".  
  
"Sou-kun... I don't want to!" I cried once again, but now I was pounding on his chest. Strange enough, he tightened his embrace.  
  
"I know how you feel, Misao... Being forced to do something you don't want to do..." Soujiro caressed my hair. He felt so warm... It's so comfortable to be in his arms like this.  
  
I'm glad I became his best friend.  
  
And I'm glad I chose him to become the closest person in my heart after my family.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Short and crappy. Two words that I used to describe this chapter. It's really done in a rush, so please, another gomen. I promise the next chapters would be more meaningful. Watashi wa yakusoku suru! Gomen for the errors; I am only human.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	3. Shinjitsu

Author's Rant:  
  
Oh goodie! Now I'm on track! (Though I'm typing this without knowledge of anybody having read my fic at all...) I'm offline now, I'm not an RK to have that much money to pay for the bill. (Rk is Rich Kid, for those who don't know) (Have you ever thought why acronyms starting with consonants are preceded by the article 'an' which should only be used in vowels? If you don't wonder, I do) But I do hope that even if you don't review, you are reading my story.  
  
Though I prefer those who review. I mean, I could answer questions, get suggestions... The normal stuff. Ah, gomen! I'm talking in circles! (Swirl, swirl, swirl)  
  
Rurouni Kenshin ain't mine. Nobuhiro Watsuki owns this terrific manga/anime. Though I was wondering why Soujiro never came out of the anime and manga after the Shishio incident. *sigh* Well, C'est la Vie!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~  
  
WARNING: This story contains MATURE CONTENT, but not to the extent of being hentai all in all. Now if such offends you, go away NOW. If not, go on. This is AU; did I forget to tell you all?  
  
Oh yeah, the mature part comes in the latter part. But I might change my mind...  
  
BTW, I corrected some errors that I traced from the previous two posted chaps, and forgive me for it. I was writing it while I was half asleep.  
  
Chasing Rainbows  
  
by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter Two: Shinjitsu   
  
***Soujiro***  
  
"I know how you feel, Misao... Being forced to do something you don't want to do..." I didn't know my hands were slowly traveling through the length of her silky soft hair that she usually hides in a braid, under a hat even.  
  
"Do you...?" I heard her talk back. I looked down at her and found that she was no longer crying... Only because her eyes were tired of crying already. 'Okina-san... Doushite?' I mentally noted myself to ask that question the moment I come across Misao's grandfather.  
  
I nodded in affirmation as I succesfully soothed her sobs. "Deep in your heart you know that when you are forced to do something you don't want to, you won't be able to give your best shot and certainly your heart would not be in it."  
  
"Have you ever been in one?"  
  
It was the question I dreaded. I should have thought things first before speaking. I of all people should know that Misao is very inquisitive and will not stop until she gets to comprehend what you are ranting about.  
  
But then again, I have nothing to hide from her. She is, after all, my best friend. And she has every right to know what is going on in my mind. Just like what she has confided to me.  
  
Misao was always mistaken as the easy-go-lucky girl who could turn ballistic in a flash of a second and all sweet after that. She wears her heart on her sleeve all right, but she is strong. Stronger than who I really am.  
  
Though no one really knows it.  
  
Here I go again, hiding things from her. But now that I think of it, maybe I should not tell her what I am thinking of myself now. I should not bother to burden her more with my troubles; she couldn't even handle her own.  
  
"Misao... I know you might get angry at me for this..." I took her hand into mine and squeezed it lightly. I felt her respond as she squeezed back, urging me to go on.  
  
"...I never told you that I didn't want to be a gynecologist." I sighed. It sure felt good that someone knew of what I feel inside.  
  
"Really?" Her little voice queried. "Why didn't you tell me at once? I could have convinced Yumi-san--"  
  
I looked at her intently, and she stopped - an indication that she understood what I meant. Softening my eyes as a sign on gratitude, I leaned my head on her head, which was resting at the crook of my neck. "I could not tell Yumi-san and Shishio-san. They have been kind enough to take me in after the accident when I was two. And they have always dreamt that their little Sou-chan would become a doctor someday."  
  
"But why a gynecologist, Sou-kun? I mean, you could have been a pediatrician or a surgeon. Or maybe an opthalmologist." She questioned.  
  
"You see," I laughed inside of me as I remember Yumi-san. "...Yumi-san is a frustrated gynecologist. She was about to graduate when she met Shishio-san and practically..." I stopped as I felt a soft vibration against me. I looked at Misao and saw something that made me chuckle myself.  
  
"So you wanted to pursue the dream for her, right? That's very Seta Soujiro, ne? Always wanting to help others, willing to sacrifice his own happiness... Oh Sou-kun. you should have told me earlier!" She smiled broadly, her eyes twinkling against the glassy substance still on her eyes, waiting to fall by itself. It finally let go, and Misao felt the single tear roll on her cheeks. She laughed. "We could have studied whatever you wanted after graduating!"  
  
I was more than happy to see that my darling best friend has finally smiled. It seemed like eternity when she was crying just a while ago, and now, thinking that telling her the truth would just make more tears come, smiles replaced them in her once gloomy face.  
  
And I am happy to know that I was the one who made you smile this time... It was always you who made all feelings seem feasible and tangible to me.  
  
And I am glad that I told the truth. Mi-chan, you don't know how much all of these mean to me.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Yeah. Confusing. I am quite confused with the outcome of this one, but rest assured that the next one would be, as promised earlier, much more meaningful than this one. I'm kind of sleepy now. Kumagourou is waiting for me to climb up my bed! *Yawns* I'm beginning to think that I won't be able to finish this fic at once, all because I have to fix everything for my college admissions, compute grades for my cadettes, do activity reports for the Chapter Youth Council (I'm a member of the Red Cross Youth), write for the school organ and for the weekly newspaper, update three fics (Chasing Rainbows, Teach Me How To Love, Three to Tango), finish the movie I'm making and... Ahhh! I've got lots to do! *bangs head on the monitor then gets a hold of herself* Ehem.  
  
Gomen for all the mistakes committed in this chapter. I told you I'm already sleepy. (I'm so sleepy that now I'm seeing Uesugi Tatsuha and Eiri Yuki waiting for me![See? I might be seeing only one guy but it split into two and had two different colors of their hair -- Yuki's blonde and Tatsuha's jet black...] I can't believe I'm harassing a monk no less. [Did I pity Miroku when I did?])  
  
Ja, mata ne!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	4. Setsunai Hito yo

Author's Rant:  
  
I'm back yet again! Mwahahaha!!! Well, I am the herald of good news to you all because finally, I updated! *cheers*  
  
Thank you again and again for those who constantly review my fic. Though I sometimes think I'm not being a good writer... I mean, I have not got much reviews! Is something wrong with my writing? *wails*  
  
Anyways, as long as I see a review of one person telling me to go on, I am going to continue this. *hint: drop a review for this chapter!*  
  
Rurouni Kenshin ain't mine. Nobuhiro Watsuki owns this terrific manga/anime. Though I was wondering why Soujiro never came out of the anime and manga after the Shishio incident. *sigh* Well, C'est la Vie!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~  
  
WARNING: This story contains MATURE CONTENT, but not to the extent of being hentai all in all. Now if such offends you, go away NOW. If not, go on. This is AU; did I forget to tell you all?  
  
Oh yeah, the mature part comes in the latter part. But I might change my mind...  
  
Chasing Rainbows  
  
by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter Three: Setsunai Hito Yo   
  
(A person's pain... or so I translate it)   
  
***Misao***  
  
I could see him smile through the sadness in his eyes. It was strange, that even in my despaired state I saw what seemed to me his misery -- though I have no idea what it is that is plaguing him.  
  
But still, I am so lucky to have him as my best friend. He ignored his own problems just to be strong for me. Whatever it is, even if it is something he is keeping from me, I accept the fact that there are some things you must keep hidden just for you to know. And I can wait for the right time for him to tell me everything.  
  
And I swear to Kami-sama, I am not going to get angry with him for anything that he is keeping from me.  
  
It feels so good to laugh, especially now that it is him who made me do so.  
  
"Nee, Sou-kun, maybe... Just maybe..."  
  
"Hmmm?" He looked down on me, his breath ruffling my already messy hair. It felt ticklish.  
  
"Maybe... This Shinomori Aoshi... He looks kind to me. So maybe... We can work things out..." I said slowly, eating up myself.  
  
I have never thought of adjusting for anybody; I wanted to be accepted for who I really am. People around me always say that I'm good just the way I am, but I have never felt much appreciation and acceptance except for Sou-kun's presence. He was always one to understand, and would rather listen than reprimand me for all my cussing. I would shout at him, strangle him, pound him into the ground, and even knock him out unconscious -- but he never reacted violently, resisted even. Everyone around us know that ever since kindergarten he was gifted in the craft of swordsmanship, but he never even tried using it against me, despite the tobikunais I throw at him most of the time he does something I am not in favorof.  
  
I was expecting an answer from him -- Sou-kun, who was always ready with an advice that could make you cry. His voice was always soothing, and his words always sounded heartfelt to me. But this time, I was shocked. He never said anything.  
  
After about ten minutes after I mentioned that sentence, I moved to look up at him. But he anticipated it and encircled his arms around me tighter than ever, and he leaned his head on the crook of my neck.  
  
"Mi-chan... Only you could answer that..." His voice was hoarse. "... If it will make you happy, then I'll be more than glad to even be the one to escort you to the altar..."  
  
I felt hot tears brimming my eyes as he said those words. My father, who is the prime suspect in this whole conspiracy, is going to Korea next week for business. Those words he said touched my heart unlike all the words he has given me. Then maybe, Sou-kun's volunteering to walk me down the aisle would indicate that this thing that I was tied into would come out all right.  
  
And I thank you, Seta Soujiro, my very best friend, for always giving me what I needed. I could have been lost without you.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
*sighs* I do not know why I always come up with this short point-of-view chapters, but maybe it is because if I change my style, the theme I am trying to bring out will be lost. I just hope I am still doing justice to this fic. And I really like what I am about to write in the next chapter. Some revelations are going to be dished out!!! ^-^ It's coming to something important, at last!  
  
Sorry for all the errors I have done here. I have no time to even spell check this one. They're already calling me because I'm going to my grandpa's house.  
  
Ja, mata ne!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	5. Namida no Kokoro no Tenken

Author's Rant:  
  
I'm back yet again! Mwahahaha!!! Well, I am the herald of good news to you all because finally, I updated! *cheers*  
  
Thank you again and again for those who constantly review my fic. Though I sometimes think I'm not being a good writer... I mean, I have not got much reviews! Is something wrong with my writing? *wails*  
  
Anyways, as long as I see a review of one person telling me to go on, I am going to continue this. *hint: drop a review for this chapter!*  
  
Rurouni Kenshin ain't mine. Nobuhiro Watsuki owns this terrific manga/anime. Though I was wondering why Soujiro never came out of the anime and manga after the Shishio incident. *sigh* Well, C'est la Vie!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~  
  
WARNING: This story contains MATURE CONTENT, but not to the extent of being hentai all in all. Now if such offends you, go away NOW. If not, go on. This is AU; did I forget to tell you all?  
  
Oh yeah, the mature part comes in the latter part. But I might change my mind...  
  
Chasing Rainbows  
  
by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter Four: Namida no Kokoro no Tenken  
  
(Tears of Soujiro's Heart)  
  
***Soujiro***  
  
"Mi-chan... Only you could answer that..." My voice was hoarse. "... If it will make you happy, then I'll be more than glad to even be the one to escort you to the altar..." I said as I hugged her much tighter, if it was possible to hold her nearer than what I have done just a few minutes ago.  
  
But what is this? I felt something on my face. It was a tingling sensation, that when I close my eyes, more of these sensations spring into life.  
  
As I reached out one of my fingers to touch my face, I felt my cheek was damp.  
  
What are these...?  
  
Tears?  
  
I, Seta Soujiro, for the first time in my life, shed tears. And I know now why there was that breaking sensation a few minutes ago, when I first heard about Okina-san's and Makimachi-san's decision.  
  
For the past twenty-seven years I have spent living in this planet, this is the first time I cried. I know I have cried a lot of times when I was a baby. But a baby Soujiro is different from the present Soujiro. Babies cry because that is how they express what they feel. They cry softly when they feel hungry, cry out loud when their diapers have gone wet, whine really loud when they don't feel too good, or simply cry because they want someone to caress them and when they long for their mother's touch.  
  
But now... There is only one thing that I know when it happens to me; I would certainly shed a tear for -- it being the death of my best friend.  
  
And with this newfound feeling, I was not expecting myself to cry -- in her presence no less.  
  
The truth is... I love her.  
  
I really love her. More than anyone else in this world.  
  
She is my best friend, after all. That was the first statement I concluded when I felt it. But I never realized it ran deeper after I heard Mi-chan say that she is going to get married.  
  
After hearing those words, after feeling something inside of me suddenly fall apart, it dawned me that I cannot just live without her. That friendship was not enough for me. It was something much more special. Just a few years ago, when I realized that I can't live without her, I thought it was just normal because I was already accustomed to her presence, and that we are, in fact, inseparable.  
  
But deep within the walls of my heart, I felt fear. Fear, that when she leaves me she finds someone she could love. Not the kind of love she would give me, but something much more. I feared those hands that will touch her when she permits him to, those eyes that she will give that intimate gaze she sometimes gives me, the smile that she will give to the person who will forever sleep beside her and wake each morning seeing that... I have shoved that sinking feeling churning on my heart. But now I know I should not have.  
  
I should have told her that I love her ten years ago.  
  
  
  
But now, it is too late to tell her that I really love her.  
  
In a month she is to settle down, with that Shinomori Aoshi. How stupid of me to even ask her if she wants to that I escort her down the aisle. 'BAKA! BAKA SOUJIRO!!!' My mind is screaming.  
  
I was so blind to even admit to myself then that I fell in love with her that night. That night, ten years ago, when a friend of mine asked me if I could ask her to go out with him. The thought of it already made me irritated, but Misao, being a friendly person, agreed.  
  
And I was so jealous. I was so hell-bent in following them around -- where they ate, what movie they watched... I knew what they did that night. And the good thing is, I followed them around just to find out that this friend of mine had other intentions for Misao.  
  
He was a master swordsman as I am from the same school I went to, and he easily tricked Misao and tried to taint her. But this became no hindrance for me to protect my best friend. Out of nowhere I appeared, my sword in my hand, and fought with him, saving my Mi-chan from his evil grasp.  
  
She never questioned how I got there after that. And I was thankful she didn't. Because if she did, I would not know how to explain those sensations to her.  
  
But that was ten years ago. Now, I regret that she did not even ask me how in the world I got to that slum place, and why I almost killed a friend and comrade just to save her. If only I could go back there, then maybe, we could have been 'us' since that time. And maybe the engagement between her and that Shinomori would have been broken.  
  
But if it did happen, if I did confess that I was feeling something more than what a best friend should, would she still be the same Mi-chan I met in Kindergarten? Could we still have the relationship we have now if she asked why I was there that fateful night?  
  
And... Does she even love me like I love her? Will she even reciprocate the love I am willing to give her?  
  
No matter. The past is past. I must dwell in the present. Whatever mistakes I have made yesterday, I must accept them that I really made them.  
  
I just wish that this Shinomori guy makes her happy. If he ever makes her cry, I'll give him a piece of my mind. And if it is not enough, I'll be the first one to slit his throat open.  
  
Shinomori Aoshi, whoever you are, make my Mi-chan happy. You are lucky she was betrothed to you ever since birth. You are so fortunate that she will be the person you are to spend forever with.  
  
But if you can't make her happy, I'll be more than willing to take her back and make her mine... And let's not forget that I will make you pay for her sufferings with you.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
*sighs* I am soooo doomed! I didn't expect this chapter to come out so... Dark. Yeah, like Soujiro was possessed. Hehehe. I'm so cruel. But that is how I perceive him if ever placed in such a situation... Ready to slit a throat open just to protect the ones he love... Just like Kenshin, ne? Tell me what you think; I am still in the process of deciding whether I should change the story's plot. Help me make up my mind! So far the longest chapter I made, ne? Gomen for all the mistakes I have committed here.   
  
Ja, mata ne!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	6. Habataku no sa Sugu Ni

Author's Rant:  
  
I can't believe people are encouraging me to write this! It is such an honor for me to be encouraged by you people, no less. Even if you do not know me personally, you still urge me to go on with this. Arigato, minna.! ^-^  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin is copyright Nobuhiro Watsuki's. I, even with my twisted reasoning, know this. I just wished that he could have continued his manga and made Seta Soujiro and Makimachi Misao end up together. Ah, life.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~©  
  
WARNING: MIGHT turn into a LEMON in the later chapters, so better decide if you're going to continue reading this. If such offends you, then go away. If not, proceed.  
  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, SO DON'T GO FLAMING ME ABOUT IT WHEN IT COMES.  
  
Chasing Rainbows by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter Five: Habataku No Sa Sugu Ni (Let's Fly Away)  
  
***Misao***  
  
He was always there for me. Ever since the two of us met, a certain bond has sprung into life and that, I think, is where it all began. There was never a time he left me; physically we are not together, but his heart is always with me, and I know it.  
  
Just like how my heart is with him whenever we are apart.  
  
I remember once, a friend of mine told me how the two of us looked like siblings. She was surprised when I said he was just my best friend.  
  
"He's your best friend?" Came her surprised reaction.  
  
"Yeah. He is my best friend, Megumi-chan. MY BESTEST friend in the whole wide world." I replied.  
  
I was never used to lying, in fact lying to me is something that I know our clan would detest. So I always spoke of the truth. I was always honest about how I really feel, for I know that saying out loud what a person feels is the best thing to do.  
  
"Ne, Sou-kun." I muttered.  
  
I heard him sniffle and he turned to me. "Nanika, Mi-chan?"  
  
I saw his face and there was something different. Something is just not right. Oh, my. "Sou-kun, are you crying?"  
  
His expression looked crossed. His once indigo gaze now held a mysterious glow. Something I have never seen in his eyes.  
  
"Ara~" He tilted his head like he was a little kid. "Iya. What made you think I was?"  
  
He is a child, deep inside. He was always curious, ecstatic in simple pleasures that come his way. He would always find joy in simple things I do for him -- when I went to the fair with him, watched the stage play he directed (He was really good at that), when I named the dog he gave me for my sixteenth birthday "Sou-chan", when I bought him blueberry ice cream for agreeing to help me finish my Science project that was due the next day (We spent the whole night up just to do it, and the consequence? We both got reprimanded by Anji-sensei for sleeping in Trigonometry class), when I agreed to be his date in our Graduation Ball just to keep all those admirers from bugging him (Boy, did those girls looked at me like they were shooting daggers at me. But knowing how skillful I am, I somehow "avoided" it), and yes, even when I gave him the cookies I promised him which unfortunately, got burned in baking class, he still smiled, thanked me for it and ate it -- even when it constipated him and made him sick for a week. (Aunt Yumi looked like she was mad at me for that, but there was always Sou- kun to tell her that he insisted on eating it.)  
  
Really, he is a child within. And his violet orbs seem to always reveal those small emotions rushing into his heart.  
  
But still, he held that air of maturity in every decision he made. His words would always shut me up when I go cussing and swearing those boys who tried to bully me with their swords skills, when I was always winning against them even if I only used my tobikunais. I know for a fact that he was the calming spirit beside me, ready to pacify me when things go awry all of a sudden.  
  
I smiled upon hearing his signature gasp, represented by a disyllabic word "Ara~." Somehow, whenever he does that, however down I feel, however frustrated I am with life, his simple gesture of tilting his head a little and saying "Ara~" would make my heart flutter.  
  
"I don't know. I just. Thought you were crying, that's all. You looked so grief-stricken." I answered. "I have never seen you look like that."  
  
"Should I take that as a compliment?" He retorted, and then sniffled.  
  
Sou-kun looked so cute when he did that. "It depends." I chuckled. And he laughed heartily.  
  
Sou-kun, you were always there for me. You always forgave me for my mistakes, my insolence, my pranks. Other people might get fed up at what I do especially to you, but you always forgave me. You patiently wait for me when sometimes I take so long in doing my chores just so we could sneak out of Aoiya and go somewhere else. You sit silently beside me even though I would always throw things at you. You were always the first one to run and apologize to the neighbors about breaking the window when in fact I should be the one doing it.  
  
You were always there for me. What would I do without you, Sou-kun?  
  
I wish I could just call off this marriage that I was forced into. And then I could run away. Very far away, where no one would recognize me. But of course I could not leave without Sou-kun. He was always there for me. I might not be able to live without him. If I was a bird, I could have flown away easily. Freedom would be easily gained once you have wings and take flight.  
  
I stopped my chuckle. "Ne, Sou-kun."  
  
He looked at me. "What again, Mi-chan? You asked that a while ago."  
  
"Sou-kun." I clung to his left arm -- his left arm that held painful memories of their accident where he acquired a burn that can never be removed (there is a burn on his left arm above his wrist going up to half of the back of his hand [It's just small]) -- and intertwined my right hand with his left and leaned unto his shoulder. "What if we."  
  
I felt Sou-kun nod in encouragement. "Go on."  
  
"What if. we leave Tokyo?" I finally finished.  
  
Let's fly away, Sou-kun. Fly away, where we could be understood, where no one would dictate what we should do. Where we can be free.  
  
.tsuzuku.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Ah, finally done. Actually the chapter was just forced out of my mind. I am enjoying my sembreak now, and I want to at least finish one fic that I left hanging. And here comes another idea of a SouMi/MiSou (doesn't that sound like food?) fic. *bangs head on the wall* Gomen. About the Tokyo thing, I think that the Aoiya of the Meiji Restoration is in Edo, and Edo is the former name of Tokyo, so I placed there, as Misao said, that they leave Tokyo. And about the "Sou-kun" thing. I am really used to "Sou-chan" as a term of endearment to Soujiro by Misao in any of the fics I have read about them. But based on the earlier Nihonggo I've learned (back when Sakura and Syaoran was the next best thing after Wufei's Shen Long Gundam) "-chan" is like a suffix for a friend or a girl. As in cases like "Misao-chan" and "Sou-chan." And "-kun" is a suffix for a male person, a comrade in the army or something like that, and for someone you love. For instance, "Li-kun" (CCS) and "Sakura-kun" (Sakura Taisen). Now in this fic, "-kun" being used as a suffix for Soujiro's name. It's up to you to decide. ^-^ Hint: Think of the dog.  
  
Gomen, it looked like I was giving Nihonggo lessons already. Gomen nasai. I was just justifying some things that I think is very unclear to you. (But honestly, "Sou-chan" coming from Misao seems to me that Soujiro is only a playmate. But it's kinda cute, just as cute as Soujiro is. ^-^)  
  
And as for Soujiro's burn on the left arm, he acquired it when he was small, when his parents died. (I got the idea from my best friend. He has a burn on his left hand (just as small) that he got when he was cleaning their car and his father accidentally started the car. Due to friction, his skin was somehow burned when it made contact with the moving wheel.)  
  
Gomen for all the mistakes I've done. If you seem confused at the story, I can't blame you. I am also confused at where this is leading, but I've got the story figured out in my mind already. So naturally. Things will clear up in the end. (Which is yet to come) Waah! I am beginning to think that my rant is longer than the actual fic!  
  
So go click on that button on the left. You know you want to. ^-^  
  
Ja, mata ne!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


	7. Mata Atarashii Hana ga Umarete

Author's Rant:  
  
I'm so persistent. I want to finish this fic by the end of our semestral break, if not before the end of the second week of November. Kami-sama, give me powers. *doing-doing-doing* Thank you for reaching this far in my fiction.  
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is copyright Watsuki-sensei's. Do I have to state it over and over again? It is just painful.  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~©  
  
Chasing Rainbows by Shohoku no Miko  
  
Chapter Six: Mata Atarashii Hana ga Umarete ('Til the New Blossoms Bloom Again)  
  
***Soujiro***  
  
"What if. We leave Tokyo?" Misao asked, her fingers intertwined with mine, her head on my shoulder.  
  
A sudden rush of feelings coursed throughout my body. What is it with her that just her simple statement had such an effect on me?  
  
What is she implying? Is she trying to tell me that we should elope? Or is it because she is so accustomed to me that she wants me to be with her? Can it be. that she feels the same? Or is she just trying to run away from the problem?  
  
Whatever it is, I don't know how to react. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was silenced by no less than the shotgun-mouth Misao. MY shotgun-mouth Misao.  
  
I know for a fact that she is childish and immature. Not entirely, though. Immature, in a sense that she knows what is the right thing to do, but chooses to do otherwise. Some people mistake her for being childish all throughout, but she is definitely not. I am not being boastful or anything, but being her friend for almost all of her life, I am confident enough to tell the world that I know her very well. She knows what she is doing, but there are times that she discovers new things. They may not be new, but these are the things that she had just begun to understand. A late bloomer, that I can call her.  
  
Childish and immature are two different things. Childish is seeing things in a child's perspective and not understanding some things. Immature is seeing in a mature person's perspective, but acting on a situation like a child. Childish and Immature are two different entities.  
  
She can be childish at times, and immature at times. But sometimes, she wants people to see that she is childish when in fact she being immature. Like now, I know her reasons well enough to ask me that we leave Tokyo. She wants Okina-san, her parents, Yumi-san and Shishio-san to think that we just want to spread our wings and explore. But given the situation -- she crying over the betrothal without anyone knowing it -- I know that she just wants to run away from it all.  
  
And I won't lie to myself. She just wants me to accompany her because she knows that I'll understand. She knows that I'll be there to support her in everything she is to do. She asked me to go with her and leave Tokyo because she can't live without me, her best friend. ONLY her best friend, and I know there is nothing deeper.  
  
I admit: I want to kid myself. I want to tell myself that she wants the two of us to elope and run away, that she loves me like I love her. But it is not so. She loves me, all right, but only because she sees me as her best friend, the brother she never had. And she thinks that I see her just as she sees me. She thinks she is the sister that I was so close to have, but was unfortunate enough to meet an accident that caused me the life of my parents and my sister, who was at that time at the womb of my mother.  
  
But there are times that I think she does see something else. There were her words, her gestures, her actions, and her occasional stares. Even Sanosuke-san thinks that she is something else to me.  
  
"Oh c'mon Soujiro. There's no need to hide it from Kenshin and me. After all, you two look good together. Opposites attract." He said, confident that I would be admitting the truth.  
  
And I did admit the truth. "We are friends, Sanosuke-san. The BEST of friends. And that's about it." I finished with my signature smile.  
  
And being his friend for also a long time, he knew I was saying the truth. I could see the shock that registered in his face. "You mean.? But I thought. I mean, look at the two of you. Its almost as if you live at the same house already! And the way she looks at you, how the two of you cling to each other like there was no tomorrow, and she even calls you Sou-kun! You never wanted other people to call you that. Even Kenshin and I weren't privileged of that!" Sanosuke-san finished.  
  
"Sanosuke, there are things that seem real but there really is nothing into it, that I am sure." Kenshin-san smiled at me.  
  
"Fine, fine. But I don't think they'll remain best friends forever. I really see something deeper--" Sanosuke-san stopped when Misao-chan and her newfound friend, Megumi-san, came.  
  
That was when I realized that however noisy and potty-mouthed Sanosuke-san is he certainly met one who can shut him up. -- Megumi-san.  
  
And I see myself that I have the same effect on Misao like Megumi-san has on Sanosuke-san. But the difference is, Megumi-san and Sanosuke-san see something else beyond their friendship, and has decided to accept the fact that there is, something deeper.  
  
"I don't know, Mi-chan." I answered, blowing her bangs away from her eyes.  
  
I heard her sigh. "I can't think of another option, Sou-kun. I don't want to get married. yet."  
  
"Well, if you'd ask me." I began as I felt her shift in her place on the sofa. ".There are endless options. I mean, you could go tell your Jiya straight that you don't want it. Or, as you thought, you could run away and go to another place where no one would take away your freedom. You can kill yourself, but I advise you not to for I would be the first one to slash off your head," I felt her soft chuckle against my shoulder. ".Or, if you love someone else, as indicated by your word 'yet'. You could tell your Jiya and maybe he'll change his mind."  
  
I felt her tense a little. "Me? Of course I haven't!" She looked at me skeptically, and then smiled mischievously. "Maybe YOU have. Have you found someone to love?"  
  
"Me?" I pointed to myself. Of course I have. In fact, I think I will never find anyone else to love. And she is beside me now, asking me the question that I am trying to elude.  
  
If only I could tell her my thoughts. I am afraid that she will take the matter immaturely. But I cannot lie to her anymore. There are too much lies that I've been keeping from her already.  
  
"Me?" I repeated. "I have yet seen another who can surpass you, Mi-chan." I smiled, and so did she. She leaned on my shoulder again, and I felt my inner Soujiro sigh in relief. At least I told her the truth. But she failed to understand beyond those words. "What will you do now, Mi-chan?"  
  
"Hmm." I saw Misao think. "I'm tired of thinking already, Sou-kun." She removed her head and hands, much to my dismay. But I was taken aback when she suddenly stretched throughout the sofa and put her head in my lap, her face looking up to me. "Don't leave me, Sou-kun. I need you beside me." She stared at me, her eyes pleading, before facing the spectacle of colors splashed on the sky through the wide windows of her unit.  
  
"I won't. I promise." I brushed her hair and smiled. "Anata no sugu soba ni, mata atarashii hana ga umarete, Misao."  
  
I will never leave you, Misao. I can never have enough strength to do so. I love you too much to even think of it.  
  
I will always be with you as you wish Misao, until the new blossoms would bloom again.  
  
...tsuzuku...  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Okay, that's the end of the first part. I can't believe I made six chapters of this story only on one scene! I'm starting to think that my pace is too slow. Anyways, I have to pick up from where I left off and really make it fast. The next chapters will be written in third person and unless indicated by ***Misao*** or ***Soujiro*** or for anyone's name to be in between those cute asterisks, it would be me who will be telling the story. ^-^  
  
Have you all noticed the titles of my chapters? Someone could guess it, I know. The first three titles weren't influenced, but the other three are. I'm really sorry if the chapters come out crappy. Even in this semestral break given to us, I am really busy writing the lyrics and composing the melody of our graduation song, fixing the papers of the cadet officer candidates, writing and proofreading articles for the school organ, editing our Investigatory Project, memorizing my lines for the upcoming play I am going to direct AND act on (they wouldn't let me pass this year. *wails*), and fixing the schedule of those RCY volunteers who will be on duty on All Saints' Day. Not to mention household chores. Argh!  
  
Gomen ne for all the errors. To err is human.  
  
Ja, mata ne!  
  
~Shohoku no Miko~ 


End file.
